The Warrior Princess and the Cowboy
by jozivabellepattersonfan
Summary: A pure Jenry fluff story. Jo and Henry take a few vacation days to visit her family in New Jersey. Twelfth in the "Homeless" series.
1. Chapter 1

"Mister Henry, why do you talk different?" Sarah asked, tugging on his coat sleeve.

He chuckled, squatting down so that he was on her level. "Why do you think I talk differently?"

"Maybe you're an alien," she said, scrunching up her nose as she thought. "Or a cowboy."

I tried not to laugh, but it was impossible. I collapsed into a fit of giggles. Henry glanced up at me, eyebrows raised slightly, as though he couldn't imagine what would be so funny. "I'm not an alien _or_ a cowboy," he told my niece seriously. "I'm from a different country, that's all."

"Oh." She looked disappointed. "What country are you from?"

"I'm from Great Britain."

"Is it great there?"

He tugged her ponytail. "No, because _you're_ not there!"

My sister poked her head out of the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

"Mister Henry and I will set the table!" Sarah grabbed Henry by the hand and towed him into the kitchen. I smiled as I watched them go.

"He's completely smitten," I commented to my sister. Ellie looked from me to Henry and back, then smacked me with a towel. "Hey!" I protested. "What was that for?"

"He's not the only one who's smitten," she teased. I could feel myself blushing, which only made Ellie's grin wider.

"Shut up."

"Not a chance." She slipped her elbow through mine and pulled me into the kitchen. Henry was obediently setting forks and spoons on the table as Sarah put down the plates. "Come on, sis, it's getting cold. We wouldn't want to keep Sarah and Mister Henry waiting." She winked.

"Shut up," I whispered, but my heart wasn't in it. I knew exactly where my heart was, and so did she.

Sarah kept Henry on his toes during dinner, throwing question after question at him between bites. I had warned him about her undying curiosity, and he got the full brunt of it.

"Mister Henry, what's in Great Britain?"

Henry set down his fork thoughtfully. "Well, there's a very tall clock tower that you would probably like. It's called Big Ben."

"Oh. Mister Henry, are there ducks in Great Britain?"

"Yes, there are ducks in Great Britain."

"What about geese?"

"Yes, there are geese there too."

"Do they ever get in fights? Because sometimes the ducks and the geese at the pond get in fights."

He took a drink of water to hide his smile. "I haven't been to Great Britain in a few years, but I don't recall seeing any duck-goose fights."

"Henry," my sister cut in as Sarah took a bite of her spaghetti. "Jo said you have an antique store?"

"That's right," he replied. "I run it with my friend Abe. He takes care of the day-to-day operations while I'm at the morgue."

Sarah swallowed and asked, "What's a morgue?"

Henry hesitated. "Uh..."

"Sarah, are you done with your dinner?" Ellie asked quickly. Sarah nodded. "Why don't you go upstairs and get ready for bed, okay?"

"Okay!" She jumped out of her chair, put her plate in the sink, and skipped out of the room. Almost immediately she came running back. "Mister Henry, will you read me a bedtime story before it's time for me to go to sleep?"

"Sure, sweetheart."

"Okay!" She turned and left the kitchen again, humming to herself. Henry sat back in his chair, letting out a long breath. Ellie grinned at him.

"You tired?"

"It's been quite awhile since I've been around a seven-year-old," he admitted. "But your daughter is a joy, Ellie."

"She's also a terror." She got up and started to clear the table. I followed suit, picking up Henry's plate along with my own. "Just watch. She'll make you read stories for an hour if you're not careful."

"I can think of worse ways to spend my evening." Henry stood, pushing in his chair. "Where would I find your bathroom?" Ellie pointed down the hall. "Thank you."

When he was out of the room, Ellie grabbed me in a gleeful hug. "Jo, where did you find this guy?" she squealed. "He's so adorable!"

I squirmed out of her arms. "Ellie, hush!" I gestured to the bathroom, which was visible from the kitchen doorway.

"You hush," Ellie retorted. "You love him, and you know it."

I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "I brought him to meet you, didn't I?"

"Good point." She put a hand on my arm. "Really, though, sis, I'm glad you met someone. I know the past couple of years have been hard for you."

"Thanks, sis."

Henry chose that moment to return to the kitchen. I was glad; I was about to get emotional. "May I help with the dishes?" he asked. Ellie waved him off.

"Sarah should be back down any minute now," she informed him. "Jo and I will clean up."

Sure enough, we soon heard little feet on the stairs. "Mister Henry, are you ready?" Sarah came into the kitchen, wearing kitty-cat pajamas and rubbing her eyes. "I think I'm getting sleepy."

"I'm ready," he said gravely. "Do you have a book for me to read?"

"It's in my room. I'll show you." Hand-in-hand, Henry and Sarah left the kitchen. He smiled warmly at me as they went. I couldn't help thinking that maybe he would read stories to _our_ children one day.

Ellie sidled up behind me. "You're thinking about making babies with him, aren't you?"

"Ellie!"

"It's no fun teasing you," she complained, smirking at me. "It's too easy when you're in love."

* * *

I sat down to write pure Jenry fluff, and boy, did I get fluff. I really wanted to explore Jo's family a little bit too, so you get both! I hope you enjoy this short-and-sweet story. There will be 3 chapters in total.


	2. Chapter 2

I was on vacation, but my inner clock didn't know that. It was only 6:30 when I padded down the stairs to find some breakfast. As I approached the living room, I could hear voices.

"We met two years ago, through work."

"Are you serious about her?" That was my brother-in-law. I stopped just around the corner, listening.

"As serious as I've ever been." Henry's tone warmed me from head to toe.

"You know she's been through a lot, these last few years."

"I know."

"I don't want to see Jo go through any more heartbreak, okay?"

"I promise, I have only the best of intentions for her." There was a pause. "When Jo suggested this trip, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask you and Ellie something."

"Ask us what?"

"Jo has told me that her father isn't really in the picture anymore–"

"That's the understatement of the year."

"–and her relationship with her mother is rather strained."

"That's right. Last I heard, they hadn't talked since Sean passed."

"So it seemed only appropriate to ask this question of the two of you." I heard Henry unzip his suitcase and rifle through it. "I brought this with me."

My heart started to race, but before Matt could reply, little feet came pounding down the stairs. "Morning, Auntie Jo!" Sarah exclaimed, giving me an enthusiastic hug. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," I managed to say, tearing my attention away from Matt and Henry's conversation. "Just coming down for some breakfast."

"Well, you'd better eat quick," she told me sternly. "You're going to take me to school."

"I am?"

"Of course! Then I can show you my classroom, and introduce you to my teacher, and we can play with Rufus until the bell rings."

"Who's Rufus?"

"The class bunny! Come on, let's eat so we can _go_!" Sarah grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into the living room. "Morning, Daddy! Morning, Mister Henry!"

"Good morning, Sarah." Henry was pushing his suitcase back under the coffee table with his feet. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah! The story you read made me fall right asleep!"

"That's good." He smiled up at me. "Good morning, Jo."

"Morning, Henry."

Sarah tugged at my hand. "Come _on_ , Auntie Jo! We have to eat, and then I have to get dressed, and brush my hair, and brush my teeth, and find my backpack–"

Matt stood up from the couch and swept Sarah up in his arms. "Come on, goofy girl. Let's go find some breakfast and let Auntie Jo wake up for a minute." He grinned at me as he carried his daughter into the kitchen.

The room felt much smaller with just me and Henry in it. I shuffled my feet, feeling awkward in my pajamas. "How did you sleep?" I blurted out, trying desperately not to think about what might be hidden in Henry's suitcase.

"I slept very well, thank you. What about you, darling?"

"Just fine."

Henry got to his feet and approached me, running a hand over my shoulder. "I like your shirt," he murmured. "Where did you get it?"

I looked down. I'd forgotten that I was wearing one of his old NYPD shirts, from one of the many times he'd been arrested for skinny dipping. "Someone very special gave it to me," I replied.

"Gave it to you?" He put a hand over his heart, pretending to be shocked. "I don't recall giving you anything, Jo."

"Okay, maybe I stole it."

"An officer of the law, stealing like a common criminal," he teased. "I'm surprised at you, Detective."

"And if I went through _your_ apartment, I wouldn't find anything of mine?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "I seem to recall missing a certain–"

"Auntie Jo!" Sarah cried from the kitchen. "Aren't you coming?"

Henry gave me a swift kiss. I smiled into his eyes. "Coming, Sarah!" I called, not looking away. "Would you like to come to Sarah's school with me?"

"I would love to, but Lucas called me early this morning. He needs my help on a case."

"You're not leaving, are you?"

"No, no," he assured me, squeezing my hands. "I'll just be on the phone for awhile. When you get back from the school, I'm sure I'll be done, and we can spend the day like we planned."

"All right."

Sarah made me oatmeal with honey and raisins. She then insisted on helping me pick out my clothes. Despite the fact that I'd only packed for two days, this process took so long that we were almost late leaving for school. I barely got to meet her teacher and Rufus the bunny before the bell rang.

Henry was done with his phone call when I returned. Matt was just getting to bed; he worked the night shift at the hospital, and slept during the day. "You two have fun!" he called as we went out the door.

"Tell me more about this boardwalk," Henry suggested as I drove.

"I'm sure it'll be nothing too exciting for you." I shifted in my seat, feeling silly. Henry was used to Paris and London; a New Jersey boardwalk would be nothing in comparison.

Henry placed a hand over mine on the steering wheel. "I'm looking forward to it, actually. It's been too long since I've simply walked along a beach."

I glanced at him. "Really? You don't think this is a boring vacation?"

"I'm never bored when I'm with you, darling. Now tell me about the boardwalk."

"Well, the ocean really is beautiful. There's this particular place where I always stop to stick my toes in the water. And there's this restaurant that makes the _best_ pecan pie..."

* * *

Oh, the fluff. I've never written something so fluffy. Lol. What could Henry have shown Matt? Such a mystery. :P

In case anyone is confused, this could be considered a sequel to "Homeless" and "Together," set before the events of "Choices."

Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed! KenH, I'm glad you like the fluff. :) Parkin24, they are indeed very lucky. As am I to get to play with them.


	3. Chapter 3

We walked up and down the boardwalk all day. I had fallen in love with the place when Ellie moved here years ago, but it was fun to see it anew through Henry's eyes.

"Is that an art gallery?" he asked, pointing with our entwined hands.

"I think so. I've never gone in."

He grinned at me. "There's no time like the present."

We toured the gallery, then the local artist's shop next to it. I spent so much time admiring the delicately-worked seashell necklaces that Henry insisted on buying one for me. The artist beamed at us when he clasped it around my neck. "You two are just so sweet," she said with a sigh. "Seeing happy couples like you, oh, it just warms my heart."

Our next stop was my favorite café. We ate lunch outside on the patio so we could have a view of the ocean. "I see why you love this place," Henry said, gazing out over the water. "There are few places in the world that are this beautiful."

"I've always thought so." I took a sip of wine and continued, "I mean, I haven't traveled much, but this is such a calming place."

"Calming is a good word," Henry agreed. "Where shall we go after lunch?"

"We haven't gone downtown yet. There's a museum there I think you would enjoy – and by enjoy, I mean you'll probably tell me what the _real_ history is, which is always enjoyable for me." I smirked at him. "What do you think?"

"Whatever you say, darling."

The museum was actually fairly accurate, by Henry's standards. He only went off on a tangent five times. After leaving the museum, we returned to the boardwalk and wandered along, stopping to get ice cream at one shop and fresh croissants from another. We ate at my favorite restaurant for dinner, sharing a piece of pecan pie.

Evening came before I knew it. We had discarded our shoes and were walking barefoot in the sand. "Look at the sunset," Henry whispered in my ear. "It's stunning, but even it pales in comparison with you, darling."

I smiled at him. "Thank you, Henry."

"I mean it."

"I know."

We walked in silence for a few minutes before Henry stopped, turning me around to face him. "Have I told you that I love you today?"

"No, you haven't." I tapped him on the nose. "Naughty."

He grinned. "I love you, Jo Martinez."

"And I love you, Henry Morgan."

He put his arms around my waist, and I stood on tiptoe for his kiss. When he pulled back, he said quietly, "I wasn't really on the phone with Lucas this morning. I needed to talk with Ellie and Matt."

My heart started to race again, but I fought to keep my face straight. "You did?"

"Yes. But what's more important is that I talked to Sarah last night. I didn't actually read her a story – she told me one instead. Would you like to hear it?" I nodded. "She told me a story about a princess. This princess wasn't just a princess – she was a warrior, too. This warrior princess fell in love with a prince, and they got married, but one day, the prince got sick and died."

Henry paused, his eyes searching mine. Tentatively I asked, "Is that the end?"

"No. The warrior princess was very sad for a very long time. She knew how to fight, but she didn't know how to fight the sadness. Then, one day, she met a cowboy." That startled a laugh out of me. "Her words, not mine," Henry promised, eyes dancing. "The warrior princess met a cowboy who found a way to help her with her sadness. When the warrior princess was with the cowboy, she was happy once more. They fought the sadness together."

He paused again. I could tell he was trying to decide what to say next. "Is that the end?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He took a deep breath. "Kind of. After she told me that part, she said, 'You'd better ask her to marry you, cowboy, because you're in love and that's how the story's supposed to end!'"

I froze. Henry was pulling something small out of his pocket. He took a step back and got on one knee in the sand. "So, Josephine Martinez, will you marry me?" he asked, holding up a ring.

For a few seconds, I just stared down at him. I'd known this was coming, had even heard him talking to Matt about it, but there's knowing and then there's _knowing_. "Yes," I said. It came out as a breathy whisper. I cleared my throat. "Yes, yes, Henry Morgan, I will marry you!"

He slid the ring on my finger, then stood and pulled me in for a long, slow kiss. It might have lasted forever, but suddenly I heard an excited voice calling, "Auntie Jo, did he ask you? Did he? Did he?" I looked around and saw Sarah running towards us, with Ellie and Matt coming more slowly.

I knelt down to give Sarah a hug. "Yes, he did," I whispered into her ear. "Thank you, Sarah."

"You're welcome, warrior princess," she whispered back. "Hey! Can I be in the wedding?"

"Of course you can," Henry said, kneeling down next to us. I smiled at him through my tears. I knew this marriage was going to be tough. Even being friends with an immortal was a trial at times. But I was no stranger to trial, and neither was Henry.

"You'll make a great flower girl," I told Sarah, wiping my eyes.

"Why are you crying?" she demanded. "You're supposed to be happy!"

"I am," I assured her, reaching out to grab Henry's hand. "My cowboy makes me very happy."

* * *

Awwww. The fluff. All the fluff! I had so much fun with this story - especially writing Sarah. :D I hope you all enjoyed the story! Thanks to everyone who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed.

Parkin24 - it actually wasn't a nod to Matt Miller, but now it is! Passerby - I thought about changing it, but from what I read up on it, almost everyone calls the tower Big Ben anyway. Plus, he was talking to a seven-year-old, so he was probably toning himself down a little bit!


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